Underwater search for missing Malaysian aircraft in Indian Ocean

The international search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane will move underwater today, as no direct clues have come from the sky or the sea surface. Teams will use equipment to detect signals from the flight recorders in an attempt to determine the jetliner’s location.

An unmanned underwater vehicle has also been provided by the US military.

An Australian navy ship carrying the equipment and personnel will leave the western Australian city of Perth today for the search area in the southern Indian Ocean.

On Sunday, 10 aircraft and 10 ships from Australia, US, Japan, China and 2 other countries scoured the waters.

Crews on board ships collected some floating debris that reportedly included fishing items that have no connection to the missing plane.

Some objects have been spotted from above. But as they have not yet been collected it cannot be confirmed whether they belong to the Malaysian jet.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said rescue crews have put no time limit on the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. He told reporters near Perth, where the operation is being co-ordinated, that the hunt for flight MH-370 was still being stepped up.

The Beijing-bound plane disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.